We’re about to start using wireless mobile chargers in a big way

It’s been a while since a mobile manufacturer made a big deal about wireless chargers, but apparently they’re about to become a lot more common.

In fact, according to a new report from Juniper Research, nearly 40% of households in the US and over 20% in Europe will use wireless charging by 2020.

Households won’t be the only places driving the growth of wireless charging though. According to Juniper Research, with more devices now implementing wireless charging (smartphones, tablets, wearables and soon laptops), infrastructure providers are starting to roll out support for the technology, in a way similar to public or customer Wi-Fi.

It adds that this visible infrastructure presence has a key role to play in increasing awareness of the technology, where it can be tried without committing to a purchase.

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Wireless charging will ultimately be about more than the power and speed of charge”, says research author James Moar. “The ability to pinpoint device location through data exchange enables all kinds of location-based activation functions around the home, the car and in the leisure industry. Industry stakeholders must be ready to leverage this capacity.”

According to the report, one of the biggest areas of potential for wireless charging in the coming years will be the provision of additional data-based services alongside the charging itself. While easing ‘battery anxiety’ is a key appeal of the technology, the easy data exchange will in future enable a variety of over-the-air services through the charging points.

The report also notes that with regulatory and MNO approval, Japan will lead the world in adopting longer-ranged resonance-based charging technologies. In cost-driven markets, induction-based charging will remain predominant for the next five years.

Additionally, it says, a fifth of all wearable devices will incorporate wireless charging by 2020. This will have a huge impact on the space, permitting diverse designs without physical connectors.